Coming home

When do you feel truly at home when you arrive back from vacation

Most of us can identify the exact time when we feel that we are on vacation. For some, it is the moment they put their seat belt on, waiting for the plane to take off for the next destination. For others, the holiday only truly begins when they have settled down in a taxi for the ride to their hotel, taking in the sights of a new city through a miasma of tiredness. And then, there are those who only feel that they are on vacation once they have unpacked their bags and had their first meal in their holiday spot of choice.

But my question today is a different one. Once your vacation is over and you are back in your own house, when do you feel that you have truly arrived home? 

Is it the moment you walk into the main door, set your bags down, and settle down with a sigh on that comfortable sofa that has taken on the shape of your derriere? Is it when you have unpacked all your clothes, set aside those that need to be laundered, taken out your toiletries and stored your luggage away? Is it when you eat your first home-cooked meal after days of eating out at restaurants and hotels? Is it when you take your first hot shower in your own bathroom, washing away the dust and grime of the homeward journey? Or is it when you finally change into a pair of freshly-washed and ironed pajamas and slip into your own bed, resting your head on a pillow that feels just right after all the too-soft or too-hard monstrosities you have been subjected to on your travels?

I know some people who are loath to even unpack their bags for days after a vacation, because they feel that the moment they do, the feeling that there are on holiday from real life will be over. But, speaking for myself, the sight of unpacked luggage always makes me feel slightly disorientated, as if I am suspended between two worlds – the real one in which I live and the vacation one where I go to get away from reality. So, as far as I am concerned, I only truly feel at home once the luggage has been unpacked and the bags hidden away where I can’t see them.

But it takes more than a home-cooked meal or a hot shower to make me truly feel at home. Even a good night’s sleep in my own bed doesn’t quite do the trick. In fact, I often find myself waking up in the early hours, slightly bewildered, thinking I am still in some hotel room – so much so, that it takes me a couple of moments to orient myself so that I can find the way to my own bathroom.

It is only the next morning, when I wake up to the weak rays of sunshine that come through my bedroom window, and gradually familiarize myself with my surroundings, that I feel truly at home. I linger beneath the bedsheets for a few precious moments longer so that I can savor the luxurious feeling of waking up in my own bed. And then, it’s on to the first cup of steaming hot coffee, the aroma that always spells home to me.

Homing in

 Going on holiday is great; but coming back home is even better

 

They say that you should consider yourself lucky if you have the time, the money, and the energy to go on holiday. That you are fortunate indeed if you can pack up and go forth to explore the world. That there is nothing quite like travel to broaden your horizons and expand your mind. 

 

All of this is true. But, if you ask me, the truly blessed are not those who get to take a vacation but those who are equally excited about the prospect of coming back home. If the comforts of your home rank as high – if not higher – as the attractions of the world then all is right in your universe.

 

Speaking for myself, there is nothing I love more than coming home after spending a week or two away. Don’t get me wrong. I love travelling as much as the next person, exploring sites, experimenting with new cuisines, meeting interesting people. But I suspect I would not enjoy it quite so much if I didn’t have the certainty of coming back home to my own comfort zone.

 

So, what exactly do I like about coming back home after a vacation? Well, here are just a few things that I look forward to:

 

·       After days of sleeping in unfamiliar beds, it is a special treat to slip between the sheets of your own. The pillows are just right (not too soft, not too hard), the duvet has the perfect thickness (so you don’t feel too hot or too cold), and all the stuff you need is well within reach on your nightstand. That is a luxury no hotel – no matter how pricey – can replicate. 

·       Exploring new restaurants, trying out new dishes, experimenting with unknown cuisines, all of this has its own charms. But after a week or so of this, my tastebuds start longing for some ghar ka khaana. And by that I don’t just mean that I miss Indian food (though my first meal when I return is always khichdi with aloo chokha) but that I long for the food I make at home, whether it is a spicy Thai curry, a railway-style omelet, or even just some oven-roasted potatoes. 

·       My husband and I have a rule that we don’t watch any television on our travels. No tuning into CNN or BBC to catch up on the news. No signing into Netflix or Amazon Prime. And no going down the YouTube rabbit hole either. This means that we always have a few good shows to catch up on when we return home. So, we settle down on our well-worn couch after dinner, a tray of tea in front of us, and binge-watch all the stuff we have missed while away – and know that we are finally home. 

·       But, in the end, what I enjoy the most about coming back home is the complete lack of disorientation. I know where all the light switches are, I don’t have to puzzle over how the shower works, I wake up in the morning knowing exactly where I am. And that feeling of being grounded in my surroundings, in my view, is worth more than a dozen holidays in the most exotic of locations.